Ladies & gentlemen — wave goodbye to dull, run-of-the-mill, classroom styles of education and say hello to a whole new landscape of fun & portable learning.English Bubble has arrived and is providing its users with a non-classroom classroom where language becomes a learning game.

Intrigued? Well, we were — so we asked co-founder and CEO of English Bubble Robert Hanley to tell us how exactly this game-based learning platform works. “At English Bubble we fuse the best of learning science with the dynamics of mass market games to produce digital game-based products for language learners that are personal, engaging and dynamic. Unique and innovative game-based learning algorithms developed from the fusion of learning science and language learning methodology are at the core of English Bubble’s products" Hanley explained. “Our main product, Word Bucket, will provide language learners with a completely game-based platform to improve vocabulary and ability in a foreign language”

And what exactly drew English Bubble to the ACE Programme? The opportunity to attend the first ACE Summit in Brussels and meet and network with investors, ACE partners and their mentors and likeminded startups at the event, and then to benefit from highly customised support and expert mentoring through ACE partners in new European markets. “The ACE programme has provided English Bubble with the opportunity to validate a number international markets for their products, like Word Bucket and Category Conquest (e.g. from CUE in the UK and IPN in Portugal). They have benefitted from introductions to potential clients and distribution partners and primary research has been completed on their behalf with schools and teaching academies in the UK, opening up opportunities for promotion (features in trade magazines & social media) and collaboration and partnerships”, English Bubble’s local ACE mentor John Brennan of WestBIC told us. “The company is seeking business angel funding of €150k to expand the business internationally and in this respect, the support provided by ACE has allowed them to accurately determine the level of international market demand for their products and build a robust, internationally focused, investor ready business plan”.

With a wide range of targeted potential consumers, ranging from English language academies and schools to University level English learners in China, and with Word Bucket currently testing in language learning classrooms in Europe and the UK, English Bubble is really delivering on its innovation potential.

StartUpEurope Hub provides a platform where innovative ICT start-ups can access support services to help their businesses grow. Support is available to help them throughout their development, from raising capital, accessing legal advice, through to moving into new international markets. The services provided on StartUpEurope Hub are implemented by different EU funded projects. Visit the portal at startupeuropehub.eu and find out what services are available..